A Happy Matt Ball at Puryear Park

A Happy Matt Ball at Puryear Park

In last nights “Chopped Liver League” performance at Puryear Park in St. Petersburg, one of our players noticed the formation of a “Smiley Face” on the Matt Ball being used. 

Seminole King was about to serve the ball just before game 5 of the Tuesday evening group when he noticed a face-like appearance on the pelota. 

Sure enough, the white electrical tape that is wrapped around the ball for aerodynamic purposes, had come off in exact areas forming a “smiley face-like” look.  The balls usually need recovering after about 5-6 games of outside playing.  The white tape around the ball also allows the ball to be more visible coming off the green walls of the cancha.  Matt’s court and Puryear Park are the only two cancha’s that use that ball.      

The ball has been used at the St. Pete cancha for the past 13 years and the entire 15 years at Matt’s in Berlin, Connecticut.  Various formulations of the ball have been used, some lighter and some heavier than others.  Density of the balls is another factor in the various types that have been used.  Right now, Puryear Park uses a sample of new 151-gram ball, by far the faster ball ever produced in the 10 revisions or so that have been made over the years.  Usually. several hundred balls are made per batch. 

Matt himself won’t use this ball at his court because it is too fast.  The smaller Puryear Park does not have the smooth walls and flooring that Matt has due to the nature of the St. Pete court being outdoors.